William Quayle has been taken on as a trainee advocate with an island law firm after deciding to pursue his chosen career by returning to the island.

Will, as he likes to be called, is just 23 and he said his long-term plan was always to come back to live and work in the island.

There are no lawyers in Will’s family and indeed he was the first one to go to university.

He said: ’My dad is a street lighting engineer for the MUA and my mum works for Dandara so I think my enthusiasm for the law came as a bit of a surprise.’

Mann Benham Advocates Limited, based in Victoria Street, Douglas, has taken Will on.

Will graduated from the University of Hull with an honours degree in Politics before studying at the University of Law in Chester for the one-year Graduate Diploma (GDL) and a further year completing the Legal Practice Course and Legal Masters, and he is now delighted to join this established local law firm.

He said: ’I’d always planned to qualify as a Manx advocate.

’When I was doing my GCSEs I started researching the best ways to enter the profession and I attended a lecture about entering the Manx legal profession where it was suggested students should study a subject they are interested in at university before specialising, and I think that was the right advice.

’Obviously I’m still new to this, but I really believe my three years studying Politics gave me a broader view on life, and confirmed that I really did want to be a lawyer.’

Will is articled to MannBenham director Carly Stratton who said: ’Will’s education and interests make him a well-rounded person, which will in turn make him a better advocate.

’He took advantage of every opportunity along the way, arranging work experience in a number of local law firms while at school and university, as well as broadening his horizons with extensive international travel, working in Cambodia and Fiji.

’There might not be a direct link with a law career, but at MannBenham we know that intellectual curiosity makes for a better, more interested - and more interesting - advocate.’

Will attended King William’s College and the broad IB [International Baccalaureate] syllabus there allowed him to study languages, humanities and sciences which, Will says ’is a great foundation for a would-be lawyer.’

He said: ’Training to be a Manx Advocate means that I will get a much wider range of experience than some of my contemporaries will at law firms in England.

’There’s not so much of a push to specialise early, and many more opportunities to learn about all types of law including litigation, commercial and family law.

’Eventually I’ll have to choose a specialism but that’s all in the future. For now I can investigate all those opportunities, learning from highly qualified, very experienced advocates.

’I’ve been made very welcome by everyone at MannBenham, and am really looking forward to being a part of each team.’

Carly Stratton will be guiding Will throughout his articles, and particularly through the Manx Bar exams he will face during these two years.

Will added: ’There is so much to learn.

’I’m very aware of what is required to sit and pass these exams, and Carly and the team at MannBenham are incredibly supportive.

’But everyone needs some downtime which for me is cooking and baking, and taking our cockerpoo Trix out for long walks in the countryside and around the coast.

’It’s a bit weird living back at home after five years away, but I’m saving up for a deposit on a house and although I expect mum and dad will be quite pleased when I eventually move out again, I hope at least Trix will miss me.’

Trainee advocate Will Quayle always planned to return to the island